Week 2: Ethics in a Diverse, Networked 21st Century Organization

As you know from your own professional experience, and the discussions so far in this course, ethics in the 21st century is not a "cut-and-dry" topic. Like today's social and work envirovments, it is complex and has many angles.

Without a question, being a professional today is both exciting and challenging, adventurous and daunting. Due to the global nature of both society and the organizational arena, whether for-profit or nonprofit, life and work means interacting in a multi-cultural and inter-cultural/ethnic manner. Diversity of languages, traditions, worldviews, beliefs, genders, and abilities are not only a "given," they are accepted and valued. In fact, difference--diversity in it many forms--is seen as a means of enabling creative problem solving and innovation and thus intentionally sought. Such diversity coupled with a strong sense of individualism brings with it a diversity of understanding of rights, values and moral standards. Thus, uniformity and homogeneity are social and workplace characteristics of the past.

If this is the case, how are ethics and moral standards to be understood and formulated in a world that recognizes and strives to embrace diversity?

Today's world gives rise to many difficult questions reqarding the nature of ethics, as well as leading or working with integrity, and conducting buisness in an ethical manner.

Some wonder if there can even be a sense of ethics, let alone a "common ethical code." Are ethics and professional codes and standards something of the past, an aspect of an earlier era that either is no longer needed, or cannot be achieved? Because of our acceptance of diversity and individualism, and our understanding of how knowledge and values are shaped by personal and social expereince, is all relative? Do absolutes or universal principles even exist?

It is a challenge to discern how to act humanely, responsibly, and justly in a postmodern world (Bauman, 1993), a world that is characterized by diversity, flux, insecurity, speed, deconstruction, and a tendency to depersonalize people.

All of the ethical frameworks discussed in this course, have strengths and limitations, were developed in various countries in different eras, and are not specific to the postmodern technological Information Age that has created a global networked society. This leads to such questions as:

• What is the feasibility of an international ethical standard or code?
• What challenges do complex contemporary organizational and social situations pose to existing ethical philosophies?
• Do these philosophies need to be adapted or expanded in order to effectively be utilized in modern decision-making? What are their limitations regarding addressing high-tech information age concerns?
• What insights and wisdom can traditional ethical frameworks offer managers in resolving dispersed organizational and information issues? In making complex decisions?
• What are their limitations regarding addressing today's social and business concerns?
• What are the central ethical issues surrounding the quality of life and work in a highly competitive, dispersed work environment comprised of physical and virtual components?

While the contemporary world is more morally complex than in past times, this course takes the position that a sense of ethics is still quite relevant and possible. Further, integrity is critical for sustained organizational and professional effectiveness and success. A sense of moral consciousness and responsibility upon which complex decisions and actions can be founded are fundamental characteristics of leadership and organizational conduct, and has too often been missing in today's workplace. More and more this is becoming readily apparent due to the current economic downturn and financial scandals.

While ethics and moral standards are essential, they are multi-faceted. There is no one way to construct an ethical system, and there are many dimensions to such systems. Rarely is there one way to resolve a issue. Often several choices might be "viable" and "ethical"--be "good" choices that benefit people, the organization and the community. How does one discern and select the "appropriate" or "responsible" choice?

Further, ethical systems are shaped by personal experience, culture and social norms, family traditions, religious beliefs, and workplace policies, and influenced by one's personality, fears, and anxieties. But that does not mean that all is relative, nor that every belief, choice, decision or action is ethical or moral.

In light of this one can ask: are there moral perspectives or attributes that are intrinsic to people no matter what era they live or have lived in, or what culture they come from? If so, what are they? If so, how are they discerned, i.e., discovered or made known? If there are "common moral principles or human attributes, "do all understand these "human characteristics" in the same way?

As you have read, ethics is concerned with the foundational principles individuals and organizations use to make decisions. Ethics deals with understanding human actions and developing a system of how to discern what is praiseworthy, and what is not. It is the system that a person or group uses to make choices they consider appropriate (Johnson, 1994). When new technologies emerge, such as new business practices and informtion and communication technology(ICT), a void in standards and ways of operating is created (Moor, 1985), thus calling for new disciplines in applied ethics (e.g., medical ethics, business ethics, computer ethics, information ethics, etc.). We are in such a period when "voids" are being created in the business, economic and social arenas. Business globalization is calling for the examination of ethics from an international perspective (Nardin & Mapel, 1992), as well as the consideration of developing a new world ethic (Kung, 1991, Singer, 2002) that is more socially responsible and focused on working for the common good of all. What will be the core characteristics of such a perspective?

How do you address or resolve this issue regarding "ethics in a global workplace and business environment"? In a globally networked world, is ethics an obsolete concept or unobstanable practice? Why or why not?

How can managers and staffs work together and make decisions in a work environment where people do not hold the same world view and ethical perspectives?